ADVERTISEMENT
TO THE SECOND EDITION.

The very favourable manner in which the first Edition of this Account of Marocco was received by the Public, and the flattering terms in which it was spoken of by the most eminent Critical Journals of the day,[1] afford me now an opportunity, in presenting a second Edition to the world, of thus publicly returning my most grateful acknowledgments, and at the same time of enlarging and improving the work, and thereby rendering it still more worthy of public approbation: this I have been enabled to do from my own original notes, many of which were forgotten or overlooked in the first arrangement of the book.

The new matter now submitted to the Public, consists principally in a fuller account of the revenues of the state, several additions on various other subjects, as the natural history of the country, its inhabitants, and their modes of life, administration of justice, treatment of children, and education of youth; some further observations on the plague, and the diseases incident to the inhabitants; a comparison between the ancient language of the Canary Islands and that of the Shelluhs of South Atlas; Mr. Betton’s philanthropic Will and patriotic intentions, manifested in his liberal bequest to emancipate British seamen from captivity; cautions to navigators; laws, manufactures, and customs of Timbuctoo; and, for the amusement of the Arabic scholar, three Letters are introduced, with their translations, to enable him to compare the Arabic of Africa with that of Asia. Finally, there is scarcely a page that has not received some additional matter or improvement.

Indeed I have been anxious to discuss every subject that could in any manner tend to illustrate the actual state of the Empire of Marocco, being confident that the more these subjects are discussed among us, the more they will merit our attention: and that, if ever the interior of Africa is to be explored by Europeans, if ever we are to reach the grand object of our research, the Emporium of Central Africa (Timbuctoo), Marocco is the most eligible point to set out from. But it is indispensably necessary that we should first overcome our own prejudices and misconceptions respecting this country; we should first secure to ourselves all those advantages which would result from an active and uninterrupted commercial intercourse with the principal Sea Ports of the Western Coast; and when these objects shall have been accomplished, the rest will readily follow.

In the first Edition I promised that, should my labours meet with approbation, I would publish the political history of Marocco: this I had written, and intended as a second part to this Edition (indeed three sheets of it were printed); but considering that the subject has been before discussed, and being unwilling to trouble the public with intelligence not altogether new, I have thought it expedient to suppress it.

It is not probable that I shall do any thing more to this work, I therefore now dismiss it as perfect as I can render it. The greater part of it, I repeat, is the fruit of my own knowledge and experience; and I have never spoken on the authority of others, but when I have had opportunities of investigating the sources of their intelligence, and when I have had every reason to believe their information correct.[2]

J. G. JACKSON.

Burton Street,
Sept. 30th, 1811.

PREFACE.

The following sheets have been compiled from various notes and observations made during a residence of sixteen years in different parts of the Empire of Marocco, in the successive reigns of Cidi Mohammed ben Abdallah ben Ismael, Muley Yezzid, Muley el Hesham, and Muley Soliman ben Mohammed; and which were originally intended merely as memoranda for my own use; but shortly after my last arrival in England, I had the honour to converse with a distinguished Nobleman[3] on the subject of African knowledge, and from his Lordship’s suggestions I first determined to submit to the public such information as a long intercourse with the natives of Barbary, as well in a political as a commercial capacity, and a thorough knowledge of the languages of North Africa had enabled me to obtain.

It was justly observed by Mr. Matra, our late consul at Marocco, that “there are more books written on Barbary than on any other country, and yet there is no country with which we are so little acquainted.” The cause of this is to be found in the superficial knowledge which the authors of such books possessed respecting this part of the world; having been generally men who came suddenly into the country, and travelled through it without knowing any thing either of the manners, character, customs, or language of the people. Indeed, the greater part of the compositions respecting North Africa, are narratives of journies of Ambassadors, &c. to the Emperor’s court, generally for the purpose of redeeming captives, compiled by some person attached to the embassy, who, however faithfully he may relate what passes under his own eye, is, nevertheless from his situation, and usual short stay, unable to collect any satisfactory information respecting the country in general, and what he does collect, is too often from some illiterate interpreter, ever jealous of affording information to Europeans even on the most trifling subjects.

Leo Africanus is, with very few exceptions, perhaps the only author who has depicted the country in its true light; and although he has committed some errors, chiefly geographical, yet Marmol, as well as many moderns, have servilely copied him. There is some original matter contained in a book, entitled, “A Journey to Mequinez, on the occasion of Commodore Stuart’s Embassy, &c. &c.” London, 1725. Lemprière’s Marocco contains an interesting description of the Horem, or the Seraglio; but the rest of his account has many errors; the map appears to be copied chiefly from Chenier, some of whose orthographical errors he has adopted. The work of the last mentioned author is the best I have seen,[4] and this is to be attributed to his having resided in the country several years; and though his ridiculous pride did not allow him to associate generally with the Moors, yet a partial knowledge of their language, and his natural penetration and judgment, enabled him to make many useful observations derived from experience.[5]

It must be obvious to every one, that a considerable portion of time and study is requisite to obtain a thorough acquaintance with the moral and political character of any nation, but particularly with one which differs in every respect from our own, as does that of Marocco; he, therefore, who would be thoroughly acquainted with that country, must reside in it for a length of time; he must possess opportunities of penetrating into the councils of the State, as well as of studying the genius of the people; he must view them in war and in peace; in public and in domestic life; note their military skill, and their commercial system; and finally, and above all, he must have an accurate and practical knowledge of their language, in order to cut off one otherwise universal source of error, misconception, and misrepresentation.

Certainly no country has of late occupied so much attention as Africa, and the exertions of the African Association to explore the interior of this interesting quarter of the globe, do them the highest credit; and if their emissaries have not always been successful, or obtained information only of minor importance compared with the great object of their researches, it is to be attributed to their want of a sufficient knowledge of the nature of the country, and the character and prejudices of its inhabitants, without which, science to a traveller in these regions, is comparatively of little value. When we consider the disadvantages under which Mr. Parke laboured in this respect, and that he travelled in an European dress, it is really astonishing that that gentleman should have penetrated so far as he did, in his first mission; and we are not so much surprised at the perils he endured, as that he should have returned in safety to his native country. Had he previously resided a short time in Barbary, and obtained there a tolerable proficiency in the African Arabic, and with the customs adopted the dress of the country, what might we not have expected from his perseverance and enterprising spirit? Whatever plans future travellers may adopt, I would recommend to them to lay aside the dress of Europe; for, besides its being a badge of Christianity wherever he goes, it inevitably exposes him to danger; and it is so indecent in the eyes of the Arabs and Moors, that a man with no other clothing than a piece of linen round his middle, would excite in them less indignation.

Mr. Horneman, in the above respects, certainly set out with a more probable chance of success; though I much fear the expectations which he raised will never be fulfilled. From his Journal, indeed, he appears to have been of far too sanguine a disposition, and to have relied too much on the fair professions of his African fellow-travellers, an instance of which occurs in his letter from Mourzouk, where he says, “Under protection of two great Shereefs I have the best hopes of success in my undertaking.” Here the hopes of success originate in the very cause that would induce a man versed in the character and springs of action of the Africans, to despair of success. It was the promises of these people that led Major Houghton to his ruin; and the fair representations made by some of them to the first emissaries of the African Association have been proved to be false by the difficulties and dangers which their successors have had to encounter, in attempting to penetrate to Timbuctoo. The Shereefs are very plausible people; many of them possess uncommon suavity of manners, which is too apt to throw the confiding European off his guard, and make him the victim of their artful designs; as to their information, it is not to be depended on; they will say every thing to mislead, an instance of which will be presently mentioned in the case of Mr. Parke. In another place Mr. Horneman says, “In respect to my astronomical instruments, I shall take special care never to be discovered in the act of observation; should these instruments, however, attract notice, the answer is ready, they are articles of sale, nor is there fear I should be deprived of them whilst master of my price.” Nothing can evince greater ignorance of the people than this; indeed I am surprised Mr. Horneman could entertain such an idea. The mode of travelling in Africa will prevent the possibility of his availing himself of these precautions; there is no cafilah, or caravan of itinerant merchants and traders in that country, which does not contain some person who has either been to sea, or has seen nautical instruments, and knows their use. That they are articles for sale would indeed sound very well for a person going through Europe, but there are no purchasers for such things in Africa; besides, no people under heaven are more jealous, or suspicious of every thing which they do not comprehend, than the Africans. The description of them by Sallust holds at this day, and is perhaps a better drawn character of the modern African (although it alludes to their ancestors) than any description which has hitherto been given of this extraordinary people. These ignorant, barbarous savages, as we call them, are much more sagacious, and possess much better intellects, than we have yet been aware of.

The error above alluded to, into which Mr. Parke was led by a Shereef, was in regard to the distance from Marocco through Sueerah, or Mogodor, to Wedinoon, which he makes twenty days,[6] when it is in reality but ten, as I have repeatedly travelled the distance; viz. Marocco to Sueerah, or Mogodor, three days; to Agadeer, or Santa Cruz, three; to Wedinoon four. There is also another error in the same gentleman’s book, which it is proper to notice; he says, Saheel signifies the north country; nothing but an ignorance of Arabic could have thus misled him; Saheel in that language signifying nothing more than an extensive plain; thus the extensive plains south-east of the river Suse are called Saheel; the low country near El Waladia is called Saheel; and if an Arab were to pass over Salisbury Plain, he would term it Saheel. In these few notices respecting the travels of two of the hitherto most successful emissaries of the African Association, I have no other object in view than to point out errors which may mislead those who follow them, and I therefore hope, that they will be favourably received by that respectable body, and by the authors themselves, should they happily return to this country. I had written several remarks on Mr. Horneman’s Journal, which I intended to give in an appendix, but as they might create ill-will, and involve me in useless controversy, I have suppressed them.

With regard to the following Work, it has been my endeavour throughout, to give the reader a clear account of the present state of the Empire of Marocco, and of its commercial relations with the interior, as well as with Europe: on the latter some readers may perhaps think I have enlarged too much, but it was my wish to be particular, on that subject, and to shew the advantages which this country might, and ought to derive from an extensive trade with Barbary. In other respects, I have been as concise as possible, introducing little or nothing of what has been satisfactorily detailed by late writers on the same subject. In the Map of Marocco, I have given the encampments of the various tribes of Arabs, and omitted such towns and villages as are found in modern maps, but which now no longer exist. The track of the caravans through the Desert to Timbuctoo, is, together with the account of that city and the adjacent country, given from sources of information which I had every reason to believe correct. The engravings are from drawings made on the spot by myself; but from the extreme jealousy of the natives, particularly those of the interior provinces, and the consequent difficulty of taking views without being discovered, trifling inaccuracies may have been committed in some of them. Some apology ought perhaps to be made for my language; but any defect, in this respect, will, I trust be excused, when it is recollected that a plain relation of facts, and not an elegant composition, was all I had in view. Some readers, probably may express surprise, that I have said nothing of the political history of the country; but this I have reserved for a future publication should the present one meet with the approbation of the public.

LIST OF PLATES, &c.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.

The empire of Marocco,[7] including Tafilelt,[8] is bounded on the north by the Mediterranean sea; on the east by Tlemsen,[9] the Desert of Angad, Sejin Messa,[10] and Bled-el-jerrêde;[11] on the south by Sahara (or the Great Desert); and on the west by the Atlantic Ocean. It may be divided into four grand divisions.

1st, The northern division, which contains the provinces of Erreef,[12] El Garb, Benihassen, Temsena, Shawia, Tedla, and the district of Fas;[13] these are inhabited by Arabs of various tribes, living in tents, whose original stock inhabit Sahara; to which may be added the various tribes of Berebbers, inhabiting the mountains of Atlas,[14] and the intermedial plains, of which the chief clans or Kabyles are the Girwan, Ait Imure, Zian,[15] Gibbellah, and Zimurh-Shelluh.

The principal towns of this division are, Fas (old and new city, called by the Arabs Fas Jeddede and Fas el Balie), Mekinas, or Mequinas, Tetuan, Tangier, Arzilla, El Araiche, Sla, or Salée, Rabat, Al Kassar, Fedalla, Dar-el-beida, and the Sanctuary of Muley Dris Zerone, where the Mohammedan religion was first planted in West Barbary.

2d, The central division; which contains the provinces of Dukella or Duquella, Abda, Shedma, Haha, and the district of Marocco.[16] The chief towns being Marocco, Fruga, Azamore, Mazagan, Tet, Al Waladia, Asfie, or Saffee, Sueerah, or Mogodor.[17]

3d, The southern division; containing the provinces of Draha and Suse; which latter is inhabited by many powerful tribes or Kabyles, the chief of which are Howara, Emsekina, Exima, Idautenan, Idaultit, Ait-Atter, Wedinoon, Kitiwa, Ait-Bamaran, Messa, and Shtuka; of these Howara, Wedinoon, and half of Ait-Bamaran are Arabs; the others are Shelluhs. The principal towns of this division are Terodant, Agadeer,[18] or Santa Cruz, Inoon, or Noon, Ifran, or Ufran, Akka, Tatta, Messa, and Dar-Delemie.

4th, The eastern division, which lies to the east of the Atlas, and is called Tafilelt; it was formerly a separate kingdom. A river of the same name passes through this territory, on the banks of which the present Emperor’s father, Sidi Mohammed ben Abdallah, built a magnificent palace. There are many other adjacent buildings and houses inhabited by sherreefs, or Mohammedan princes of the present dynasty, with their respective establishments.[19]

CHAPTER II.

The Tensift.[20]—This river rises in the Atlas, east of Marocco, and passing about five miles north of that city, it proceeds through the territory of Marocco, Rahamena, and nearly divides the two maritime provinces of Shedma and Abda, discharging itself into the ocean about sixteen miles south of the town of Saffy. This river receives in its course some tributary streams issuing from Atlas, the principal of which is the Wed Niffis, which, flowing from the south, enters it, after taking a northerly course through the plains of Marocco or Sheshawa. The Tensift is an impetuous stream during the Liali, but in summer it is fordable in several places; and at the ferry near the mouth of the river, at low water, reaches as high as the stirrups. In many places it is extremely deep, and dangerous to cross without a guide; about six miles from Marocco, a bridge crosses it, which was erected by Muley El Mansor; it is very strong but flat, with many arches. One of the Kings of Marocco attempted to destroy this bridge, to prevent the passage of an hostile army, but the cement was so hard that men with pick-axes were employed several days before they could sever the stones; and they had not time to effect its destruction, before the army passed. The shebbel of the Tensift is much esteemed, as is also the water, which is extremely salubrious, and aids considerably the powers of digestion, which, from the intense heat of the climate, are often weakened and relaxed. This river is supposed to be the Phut of Ptolemy; on the northern bank, where it falls into the ocean, is to be perceived the ruins of an ancient town, probably the Asama of that Geographer.

There is a small stream two miles south of Mogodor, from whence that town is supplied with water; and about twelve or fourteen miles more to the south, we reach

The River Tidsi, which discharges itself into the ocean a few miles south of Tegrewelt, or Cape Ossem, where the ancient city of Tidsi formerly stood. Passing to the south in the plains at the foot of that branch of Atlas which forms Afarnie, or the lofty Cape de Geer,[21] we meet

The River Benitamer, which, with the before mentioned branch of Atlas, divides the provinces of Haha and Suse.

Farther to the south is another river called

Wed Tamaract; and about sixteen or seventeen miles south of that place, and about six south of Agadeer, or Santa Cruz,[22] the majestic

River Suse discharges itself into the ocean. This fine river rises at Ras-el-Wed, at the foot of Atlas, about thirty miles from the city of Terodant. The (fulahs) cultivators of land, and the gardeners of Suse have drained off this river so much in its passage through the plains of Howara and Exima, that it is fordable at its mouth at low water in the summer, so that camels and other animals are enabled to cross it with burthens on their backs: at its mouth is a bar of sand which at low water almost separates it from the ocean. The banks of this river are inundated in winter, but in summer are variegated with Indian corn, wheat, barley, pasture lands, beautiful gardens, and productive orchards. Either this river, or that of Messa, must have been the Una of Ptolomy, which is placed in lat. 28° 30′ N. We may presume that the Suse was anciently navigable as far as Terodant, as there are still in the walls of the castle of that city immense large iron rings, such as we see in maritime towns in Europe, for the purpose of mooring ships.

Draha.—The river of this name flows from the north-east of Atlas to the south, and passing through the province of Draha, it disappears in the absorbing sands of Sahara. A great part of the country through which it passes being a saline earth, its waters have a brackish taste, like most of the rivers proceeding from Atlas, which take their course eastward. It is small in summer, but impetuous and impassable in winter, or at least during Liali. It is not improbable that this river formerly continued its course westward, discharging itself into the ocean at Wednoon, and called by the ancients Darodus; but it often happens in Africa, particularly on the confines of any desert country, that the course of rivers is not only changed by the moveable hills of dry sand, but sometimes absorbed altogether, as is now the case with the Draha, after its entrance into the Desert.

River of Messa, called Wed Messa, flows from Atlas; it is, as before observed, a separate stream from the river Suse, and is drained off by the (fulah) cultivators or farmers during its passage. It was navigated by the Portugueze before they abandoned this place for the New World. Leo Africanus has committed another error (which has been copied by modern writers,[23] in calling the river of Messa the river Suse,[24] which I ascertained to be quite a different stream when I was at Messa, and thirty miles distant from the former, though they both flow from E. to W. A bar of sand separates this river entirely at low water from the ocean, but at flood tide it is not fordable. Between the mouth of the river Messa and that of Suse, is a road-stead called Tomée; the country is inhabited by the Woled Abbusebah Arabs, who informed me, when I went there, during the interregnum, with the (Khalif) Vice-regent Mohammed ben Delemy, by order of the (Sherreef) Prince, that British and other vessels often took in water there: it is called by the Arabs (Sebah biure) the place of seven wells, of which wells three only remain, and these we found to contain excellent water. After inspecting the place, and the nature of the road-stead, we returned to the Vice-regent’s castle in Shtuka. Concerning this remarkable sea-port it would be inexpedient at present to disclose more.

River Akassa.—This river is navigable to Noon, above which it becomes a small stream, fordable in various places; it has been called by some Wed Noon, i.e. the river of Noon, but the proper name is Wed Akassa; the word Wedinoon is applied to the adjacent territory.

The Mountains of West and South Barbary are the Atlas and its various branches, which receive different names, according to the provinces in which they are situated. The greater Atlas, or main chain of these mountains, extends from (Jibbel d’Zatute) Ape’s Hill to Shtuka and Ait Bamaran, in Lower Suse, passing about thirty miles eastward of the city of Marocco, where they are immensely high, and covered with snow throughout the year. On a clear day, this part of the Atlas appears at Mogodor, a distance of about a hundred and forty miles, in the form of a saddle; and is visible at sea, several leagues off the coast. These mountains are extremely fertile in many places, and produce excellent fruits; having the advantage of various climates, according to the ascent towards the snow, which, contrasted with the verdure beneath, has a singular and picturesque effect.